Week 52 Ruminations

Some things I enjoyed in 2024

the calendar hung itself

Post-Christmas and pre-New Year is one of my favorite weeks. Many people view the 52nd week as dead time—a moment of transition from one thing to the next. I love how quiet my city is. I can walk with fewer interruptions. The usual traffic is a trickle and everything moves slower.

This lull in time gives way to reflection, which I think is always appropriate. I don’t celebrate the New Year but I like that it marks the end of one thing and the beginning of another—albeit a number. During my lunchtime walks, I’ve been thinking about what I’ve enjoyed, learned and experienced this year. In no particular order, here are a few things that made an impact on me.

Music

1. Thrice - Daedalus

My band for 2024 without a doubt was Thrice. I listened to them in high school and then stopped once I thought they sold out. What I didn’t realize from 2005 to 2024 was that Thrice kept getting better. I bought all of the band’s post-2005 albums and rotated through them this year. Daedalus on The Alchemy Index, Vol. 3 & 4: Air & Earth album is a standout track for me. I love the story of Icarus but from his father’s perspective. I wouldn’t have enjoyed this track as much if I had heard it before my kids were born. Being a father makes you view life and situations from an entirely different angle, and I think Daedalus nails that perspective.

2. Vikingur Ólafsson - The Arts and the Hours

Icelandic pianist, Vikingur Ólafsson, plays like nobody I’ve ever heard. His music puts me in a relaxing trance that is hard to escape. The Rameau piece he transcribed for piano is as good as it gets. This piece is melancholy, beautiful, peaceful, and transformative. I’m yet to listen to a recording of Ólafsson’s I don’t love. Start with The Arts and the Hours.

3. Bill Evans Trio - Autumn Leaves

I’m not going to pretend that I know why this piece of music is brilliant. All I know is that when I hear it, I like it. I listened to a ton of West Coast Jazz this year. Bill Evans stood out most to me because I hadn’t given his music a fair shake. I love a good trio. The intricate melodies played on the piano with the solid rhythm section make this music infinitely satisfying. Anything Evans put out in the late 50s and early 60s is pure gold, with Autumn Leaves being a high watermark, in my opinion.

4. Confidence Man - Forever 2 (Crush Mix)

Going back to 2020 Covid lockdowns, I, like everyone else, had more time than normal to explore new things. Twenty Twenty was the year I dove into electronic music. I would watch live streams of DJs on YouTube and find tons of great new artists. Confidence Man was one of these artists I discovered through Satin Jackets. The Australian quartet has a unique identity rooted in the 90s rave scene. When you first hear Confidence Man, your reaction will likely be, “What the hell is this?” And then you’ll find yourself listening to them non-stop. Forever 2 is a nice entry point.

5. Charley Crockett - $10 Cowboy

My buddy Adam turned me onto Charley this year. I have a soft spot for 70s outlaw country and Charley’s music pushes all the right buttons. His voice is unique. He has relatable lyrics that tell the story of a downtrodden loner. But what I like most about his music is how modern it sounds while still being rooted in outlaw countryx. I find myself going back to $10 Cowboy frequently, and when I do, I want to start driving an El Camino.

Books

1. Tough Rugged Bastards by John Daileyx

John’s newsletter Walking Point was a revelation to me when I first read it. I’ve always been fascinated by military history and the armed forces in general. Tough Rugged Bastards outlines the creation, training, and deployment of Task Unit Raider in the Marine Corps, which deployed to Iraq in 2004. John goes into the training his unit did prior to being deployed, the operations they conducted in Iraq, and the eventual creation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). The leadership lessons found within John’s book are better than any business book I’ve read. John Dailey is an American hero and I’m glad he’s telling his story to the world. Definitely check out his book and newsletter.

2. Masters of the Air - Donald L. Miller

The TV series of the same title came out this year and I enjoyed it. As with Band of Brothers and The Pacific, I needed to read the source material. Masters of the Air was the most challenging World War II book I’ve ever read. The graphic recounting of what the 8th Air Force did over Europe was often difficult to read but also rewarding. So many of the men who flew missions in B-17s were either killed or captured. That’s not to mention some of the targets that were selected for dubious strategic value—but that’s for another debate. I finished this book with a deeper appreciation for what the Greatest Generation gave to combat tyranny. It’s truly incredible.

3. The Splendid and the Vile - Erik Larson

Continuing my fascination with WWII, and the air war in particular, I read The Splendid and the Vile. This book covers the first year of Winston Churchill’s prime ministry. The details shared in this book are exhaustive—from airplane production numbers, air raid details and battles. Reading this book helped me understand why the allies bombed the hell out of Germany in Masters of the Air.

4. Dead Wake - Erik Larson

Non-fiction is clearly my favorite, especially military history, so Dead Wake was an obvious choice for me. I enjoyed The Splendid and the Vile so much, I had to read more of Larson’s work. Dead Wake follows the doomed, final crossing of the Lusitania ocean liner. What struck me most about this book was its thesis. You would think that a book about the Lusitania would just be a chronology of events following up to its sinking, which it does. But at the book's core, it exposes a believed cover up perpetrated by the British Government—specifically Winston Churchill—to permit a situation where the Lusitania could be sunk in order to draw the United States into World War I. There’s much debate about this topic but Dead Wake presents a convincing argument.

Watches

Twenty Twenty-Four has been a year of less. I’ve sold many of my watches but I did buy one big piece. I bought a Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight in September. I was able to make a deal with the seller, who was the original owner, for $2,500. Considering that this watch sells for nearly $4,000 new, I thought it was a fantastic price.

I had the Fifty Eight’s bigger brother a few years ago but ended up selling it due to its 41mm size and nearly 15mm thickness. The Fifty Eight is a slimmer version of the Black Bay with perfect proportions. The longer I’ve liked watches, the smaller I prefer them. The Fifty Eight disappears when wearing it due to its 39mm case width and sub 12mm thickness. My number one preference of any watch is how comfortable it is. I’ve owned dozens of cool watches that I ultimately sold due to comfort issues.

I’ll write an in-depth article about my experience with the Fifty Eight so far in the new year. But I’ll sum up my experience so far: the Fifty Eight is one of the few watches that lives up to the hype.

Television and Movies

I mentioned Masters of the Air above and I would recommend watching the TV series. Naturally, the book was better but at nearly 700 pages in length, it takes commitment and interest to get into. The TV series follows pilots Gail Cleven, John Egan, and the rest of the Bloody 100th Bomb Group through their experience in WWII. The standout character of the series, in my opinion, is Robert Rosenthal though. His stone cold determination to serve his country is inspiring. The visuals are stunning throughout the series. The CGI used creates imagery that likely hasn’t been seen in 80 years. The show wasn’t as great as Band of Brothers but nothing can beat that series. I’m glad that Hanks and Spielberg are still producing shows like this. Please keep them coming!

Final Wrap Up

This year has been good to me and my family. I accomplished some big goals and am set to continue working toward longer-term goals in 2025. I realize this list contains things from before 2024 but I don’t think it’s too late to discover something great.

I found that focusing on less was the secret to discovering more. I went deep on military history this year and have found the reading and discovering extremely enjoyable. This is mainly due to the continued appreciation I have for countless people who often gave everything for others.

I’ve also focused more on experiences, learning and creating instead of consuming. Selling my cars and watches has been great for decluttering my mind and emotions. Growing my knowledge has been more satisfying compared to growing my car and watch collection. I still love those things but I have a much healthier relationship with my material possessions now compared to a year ago.

Thank you for the continued support of this weird little project. Happy New Year!